Maintainers at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, have returned to service the only test stand used to validate Aircraft Mounted Accessory Drives for the F-22 Raptor and B-2 Spirit, restoring a critical sustainment capability for the US Air Force’s stealth fleets. The 530th Commodities Maintenance Squadron completed the work after roughly a year of effort, overcoming supply-chain constraints, technical problems and a growing maintenance backlog.
The stand had failed and left the fleet’s AMAD testing capacity under pressure until the team repaired its motor, validated the system and cleared additional deficiencies. The effort included updates to technical documentation and a redesigned spline adapter that cut vibration by 37 per cent. Maintainers also adopted a two-person operating concept for testing.
The restoration preserved support for two frontline aircraft types that depend on niche equipment not easily replaced. The same team also repaired another critical B-2 component in-house and identified a failed integrated drive generator gearbox before it could create further delay. The work involved 563 overtime hours and reflects the sustainment challenge posed by ageing equipment and limited spare capacity.